Traveling through countless heavens, an immortal being

Having witnessed Lear slay the crocodile demon with a single bracelet, Ye Fan was now completely convinced that this old Taoist priest must be an incarnation of the Supreme Being, sent to grant him the opportunity to become an immortal. At this moment, facing Lear with a sincere expression, he knelt down on the ground as if he were pushing a mountain of gold and a jade pillar overturning.

"In the beginning of chaos, the Dao came first, and the constant existence and non-existence were naturally attained. Purple Qi came from the east for thirty thousand miles, and five thousand years have passed since the Hangu Pass was first crossed."

"This humble one, Ye Fan, pays his respects to the Moral Celestial Venerable, the Master of Non-Action, and the Supreme Lord Laozi."

I, a humble servant, sincerely bow to the Lord Laozi and pray to serve as his attendant, tending the stove and leading the ox. I earnestly hope that the Lord Laozi will grant my request.

The young man is sincere and kowtows to Grandfather Laozi.

……

"Young Pang Bo is the same; he also prays to be able to stay by Laozi's side as a servant, and begs Laozi to grant his request..."

…………

Lear listened to the two brothers' conversation, stroking his beard in deep thought without changing his expression.

When you were at Chongji Temple, did your master give you a dragon-headed walking stick with this in mind?

Looking at what he was holding, what he was wearing, what he was riding, and then at his full head of white hair and beard, Lear couldn't help but doubt his life. He had lived two lives, and in total, he was only fifty years old. How could he have grown such white hair and beard?

There's also this dragon-headed walking stick, red gourd, banana leaf fan, Vajra bracelet, Investiture of the Gods deputy list, Purple Luo Tian Shu Taoist robe, Taiqing fish-tail crown, and the green ox beneath it.

It was only then that Lear realized that his appearance was becoming more and more like that of Lao Tzu from mythology. Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered his own name.

Li Er, Li Er, just one character different. He thought of the poem his teacher had told him about his father when he first transmigrated.

…………

Everything is connected!

The moment this thought arose, Lear's white hair and beard turned gray-white, and along with them, the agility that should have belonged to a man in his twenties also changed.

He looked down at Ye Fan and Pang Bo kneeling before him...

"You two brothers, get up first."

The two men who heard Lear's voice exchanged a glance, somewhat puzzled, but still obediently stood up.

Lear looked at the two brothers and sighed softly.

"Ye Fan, Pang Bo, I'm going to tell you a story..."

……

Ye and Pang, who had listened to Lear recount the entire plot in less than twenty minutes, remained silent with blank stares.

There's no way around it; anyone would react this way after hearing a story about themselves. Besides, the dramatic plot and the ending of becoming an immortal emperor had them both incredibly excited and thrilled. The fact that they could listen to the original story without fainting meant that their emotions were relatively stable at the moment. They just needed to process it for a while.

Lear let the two brothers immerse themselves in the story and digest the plot themselves. He raised his hand and first brought the plaque of the Great Thunder Temple in front of him. He then skillfully summoned the Six Ding Divine Fire from the red gourd and began to refine this Buddhist treasure.

……

By the time Pang Bo and Ye Fan had finished processing the plot and came to their senses, Lear had already refined the plaque of the Great Thunderclap Temple and the Bodhi tree that was about to wither into two treasures.

The plaque was forged into a palm-sized bronze plaque, the inscription still intact. The Bodhi tree and Bodhi seeds were transformed by Lear into a hairpin shaped like a branch bearing fruit. At this moment, these two treasures were floating and sinking in front of Lear.

……

"I'm awake. I still have to take an express train. We'll talk more at the next stop."

Lear had already put away his dragon-headed cane and was now slowly fanning himself with a banana leaf fan.

Seeing that Ye Fan and Pang Bo had regained consciousness, without waiting for their reply, he raised his left sleeve and stuffed the Buddhist treasures on the ground, along with the two newly crafted Buddhist treasures, into his sleeve.

The nine-dragon coffin on the five-colored altar is now full of energy and begins to float slowly, starting its next journey.

"Next stop: Beidou Star Region. Passengers, please take your seats and prepare for departure..."

Ye Fan and Pang Bo, who were carrying a pile of Buddhist treasures, listened to the loud and seemingly professional announcement from inside Lear's sleeve and couldn't help but have strange expressions.

"Laozi is quite fashionable, Yezi. What kind of place is this Big Dipper Star Region?"

At this moment, Pang Bo and Ye Fan were each carrying a pile of Buddhist treasures.

He looked around curiously and talked to Ye Fan.

"Ye Zi, do you want to cultivate step by step according to the plot, or do you want to stay by Lao Jun's side? I want to go with Lao Jun. Even if I become an emperor, what's the difference between being trapped in this broken universe and being in prison?"

"Old Pang, I'm thinking about it. Cultivation in this universe is fraught with danger. Even with the Ruthless Great Emperor secretly supporting me, I'm just a substitute for her brother. Now that I know the plot, I'm really conflicted..."

……

The two brothers chatted to pass the time. In space, Lear rode the blue ox and followed the nine dragons pulling the coffin all the way to the Big Dipper Star Region. Only when he saw that the coffin and the dragon corpse had fallen into the valley did he release Ye and Pang from his sleeve.

The two brothers landed and, together with the green ox, curiously looked around. They saw mountains so high they couldn't see their peaks, a sky so blue it was cloudless, and an endless array of exotic flowers and breathtaking scenery all around them.

Lear had just finished compiling a book called "The Supreme Lord's Commentary on the Purple Palace Throat Elixir and Qi Circulation," which automatically came to mind after he accepted the identity of the Supreme Lord Laozi.

Along with these, there were also Laozi's family traditions such as "The True Explanation of the Inner Landscape of the Supreme Lord", "The Classic of the Supreme Lord's Elixir", and "The Explanation of the Supreme Lord's Heavenly Talisman".

If Ye Fan and Pang Bo chose to follow the original plot, they would each receive a cup of spiritual water from the red gourd. If they chose to follow Li Er, they would become his attendants, carrying his staff and books.

……

Having seen the surrounding scenery, Ye Fan and Pang Bo seemed to have made up their minds and walked over to Li Er and knelt down together.

"Master, my brother and I are sincerely beseeching you to accept us as your disciples. We would like to serve as your servants and do whatever we can for you. We are extremely earnest and beg you to grant our request."

As Lear listened to their conversation, he couldn't help but recall the scene from his previous life when he watched Journey to the West and Bodhi Patriarch took Sun Wukong under his tutelage. At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

……

"Since you have made your choice, have you decided to follow me in my cultivation?"

Upon hearing Li Er's question, Ye Fan and Pang Bo exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Disciples Ye Fan and Pang Bo have made up their minds. We are determined to abandon evil and follow the Patriarch. We humbly beseech the Patriarch not to despise our mortal ignorance and to accept us as his disciples. We are willing to serve as his attendants. We only ask for the Patriarch's mercy and acceptance. We bow again and again to report this."

Lear stroked his beard, fanned himself, and said, "To desire the Way and to know it is true sincerity; to know it and to comprehend it is the karmic connection; to comprehend it and to achieve it, to draw near to the Way and to cultivate the mind—this is how you two came to see me."

Very well, since you brothers have sincerely submitted to me, I will now transmit to you the eleven volumes of the "Supreme Master's Commentary on the Swallowing Elixir and Circulating Qi in the Purple Palace." This scripture encompasses the foundation of cultivation and the realm of immortality. You should diligently cultivate it so as to comprehend the Great Dao as soon as possible, hoping that in the future, when the Heavenly Decree proclaims it, you may be enshrined among the immortals...

Ye Fan and Pang Bo, still kneeling, were incredulous when they heard Li Er's voice. They knew that in the original story, they had quite a few enemies. Now, the patriarch was willing to accept them as his disciples, had previously given them magical treasures, and had now passed on scriptures. They couldn't help but secretly praise him.

Ye Fan then spoke with Pang Bo, "Our Ancestral Master is merciful, and His divine grace flows forth, not abandoning my brothers because of their foolishness."

You do not oppress us because of our insignificance; you are of supreme virtue and saintly stature, towering like Mount Kunlun, saving the world and benefiting the people, your merits are vast. Now you accept us brothers as your disciples, first bestowing upon us Dharma treasures and then precious scriptures. We brothers can only repay even a fraction of your kindness with our lives.

Disciples Ye Fan and Pang Bo bow again and again…

Lear has now accepted his identity as the Supreme Lord Laozi, possessing boundless magical power. He sensed with his divine sense that the two were speaking from the bottom of their hearts, and couldn't help but think that they truly deserved to be chosen by destiny...

Li Er told them to get up and used his magic to transform them into Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), which looked much better. Ye Fan stood on the left holding a dragon-headed cane, while Pang Bo stood on the right holding a red gourd that he had taken off.

Lear tucked the supplementary list of gods into his sleeve. A blank scroll hung from the dragon-headed cane. There was no other way; it would look too unsightly to leave the area under the dragon's whiskers empty. He would leave it like this for now.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo were flushed with excitement. Being able to serve as attendants to Laozi was a starting point that was countless times higher than that of ordinary immortals. If they were to ask Laozi for elixirs in the future, they would be able to eat them like candy. Just thinking about this scene made the two brothers' eyes go blank with imagination.

Lear knew exactly what they were thinking. He thought to himself, "Do they think becoming disciples means they won't have to do homework or take exams? They still have scriptures, spells, and alchemy to learn. Otherwise, if they don't know anything when they meet the great gods and immortals of other worlds, it will only make Lear look bad."

……

Ye Fan and Pang Bo had snapped out of their reverie and were wondering why they hadn't left yet. Li Er chuckled, "Don't rush, don't rush, there's still a little trouble to deal with."

Just as the two brothers were wondering what other trouble was brewing, they heard a deafening roar coming from the mountain valley ahead, followed by a series of loud, clanging hammer blows. The sound startled a flock of strange-looking birds, which flew away from above them, their cries blotting out the sky.

Li Er's face remained calm; he knew it was the impotent rage of the enslaved people, who had been subjugated by the ruthless man, as the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin into the desolate ancient forbidden land.

This is easy to solve. The minor trouble Lear mentioned is the ruthless person observing the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin from behind. If she doesn't show up, then we don't need to worry about her. But if she dares to make a move...

Lear took the diamond bracelet off his wrist and held it loosely.

……

Just a few breaths later, Lear and the other two saw a figure with long, flowing hair and white clothes fly up from the ravine. Ye Fan and Pang Bo felt their hearts pound with fear when they saw the figure, and the Green Ox's legs trembled a little. Moreover, it didn't dare to speak when it saw the figure.

Li Er squinted and saw the Ruthless Great Emperor swirling her hands, seemingly oblivious and fearless, condensing a huge ball of light radiating a dangerous luster that flew towards the three of them. He couldn't help but admire her courage and then threw the Vajra Bracelet in that direction.

"Turn around and close your eyes."

Upon hearing their master instruct them to turn around and close their eyes, Ye Fan and Pang Bo immediately complied without hesitation.

They heard Lear speak at this moment, "You audacious fiend! I have not touched a single blade of grass or tree in your territory while accepting disciples here, yet you dare to offend the majesty of Heaven. Considering your ignorance, I will punish you leniently..."

Then came a deafening crash, a blinding light that could be felt even with eyes closed, and a howling wind. If it weren't for the fact that one of them was holding a dragon-headed cane and the other was carrying a red gourd, they would have been swept away by the wind long ago.

When the two brothers turned around and saw the completely unrecognizable scene before them, they were shocked...

Apart from the two of them and the area within three zhang around Lear, the vegetation in other places was completely different from when they first saw it. It looked as if it had been swept up by a gale of level ten or higher, with the vegetation overturned and the land in disarray.

Li Er put the Vajra Bracelet back on his wrist. "No need to worry. That demoness has been injured by my Vajra Bracelet and won't be able to cause trouble for a while."

"Is this the little trouble the patriarch was talking about?" Ye Fan and Pang Bo were astonished by the sight before them, which resembled the changing of the sea and the transformation of the land. At the same time, they felt extremely fortunate to have chosen to become disciples of Lear. If they could learn even a move or two from him, they would be able to dominate anywhere.

Lear no longer cared about their thoughts and used his magic to expand the auspicious clouds beneath the green ox's feet. He then conjured two jade cups and poured water into each of theirs from the red gourd, giving them a complete transformation after they drank it. Only then did he command the green ox to ride the clouds and soar straight into the heavens...

………………

Three days is neither a long nor a short time. During this period, Ye Fan and Pang Bo were still amazed by Lear's methods. Lear led them through the starry sky, annihilating all those extremely evil regions.

Li Erxian led them to pour out the Six Ding Divine Fire from the red gourd and burned the forbidden zones of life, such as the Primordial Ancient Mine, the Undying Mountain, and the Immortal Tomb, turning these places into billions of miles of scorched earth. Among them were some sleeping, immortal demons and venerables who, unafraid of divine power, made a fierce move. Every single one of them was killed by Li Erxian with his Vajra Bracelet.

Then, he led them to sweep away the "human world" and "hell" with the Vajra Bracelet, completely eradicating the pests in this universe.

He then flew to other star fields and repeatedly struck down all the ancient demon races with boundless and endless thunderous lightning until no demon race or ancient race remained alive. Amidst the ruins, he summoned various holy lands and noble families, ordering them to clean up the scum of their families, treat humans as human beings, and be kind to the human race. For those who disobeyed, he struck down several family heads, holy sons and holy daughters with lightning. He then threw his dragon-headed cane and flew over their holy lands and families to completely annihilate their bloodlines. Such thunderous methods terrified the other holy lands and noble families, and for a short time they dared not openly comply but secretly disobey.

Li Er, along with Ye Fan and Pang Bo, refined all the generals of the Immortal Empress and the Immortal Emperor sealed in Purple Mountain into a crystal using the Six Ding Divine Fire, and then put it into the red gourd. Only then did they travel upstream for hundreds of millions of miles, killing the two sons of the Immortal Emperor along the way and refining them into immortal essence, which they also put into the gourd. They only stopped when they saw the Great Emperor Wushi and the Immortal Emperor confronting each other on the road to immortality.

…………

An emperor and an immortal stood facing each other on the path to immortality. As soon as Lear approached, they both opened their eyes at the same time.

"You are the newly ascended Great Emperor of the human race? You don't seem like it."

Emperor Wushi turned to look at Li Er and spoke first.

Lear nodded to him and took out the "Investiture of the Gods" he had left behind from his sleeve, handing it to him with his magic.

Upon seeing the Investiture of the Gods, the Great Emperor Wushi's expression finally changed slightly. "The Great Accomplished Holy Body and that Undying Daoist..."

Li Er, waving a banana leaf fan in one hand and stroking his beard with the other, said, "They have all been refined by this humble Taoist. Other forbidden zones of life, ancient demon races that threaten the human race, as well as unruly noble families and holy lands, have also been either exterminated or wiped out."

Upon hearing Lear's words, not only did the Great Emperor Wushi's expression change, but even the Undying Emperor, who was confronting him, spoke in a hoarse voice, "You mean... they're all wiped out?"

"That's right, they've all been wiped out, not a single one left."

Upon hearing Lear's reply, the Undying Emperor roared to the heavens, and Zhou Shen's magical power caused the void above and below to tremble. "Hehehe... I suppose... my two sons... are gone too... I want you to pay for their lives!!"

Just as the Undying Emperor was about to launch an attack, the Great Emperor Wushi was about to make a move when he heard Lear transmit a message to him, "Fellow Daoist, don't be hasty, let me deal with him for a while."

Upon hearing this, the Great Emperor Wushi watched the battle with peace of mind. A figure who could eliminate all the forces in the universe that were detrimental to the human race would be a match for even the Undying Emperor, so he did not make a move.

The Great Emperor Wushi watched as Lear threw a bracelet at the Immortal Emperor and then fanned the Immortal Emperor's direction twice with his fan. He was curious but did not make a move. He could tell that Lear was very confident.

This is indeed the case.

The bracelet, struck by the Immortal Emperor's magical power, shattered on his head, sending him flying backward. The wind from the fan transformed into nine towering whirlwinds around the Immortal Emperor, trapping him and forcing him to reveal his true form in an attempt to escape. However, the bracelet continued to strike him, causing him to bleed and break his bones.

The Great Emperor Wushi felt a great sense of satisfaction as he looked at the miserable state of his longtime adversary. This was retribution!

Seeing that the old phoenix was rendered powerless by the celestial wind and the Vajra Bracelet, Lear instructed Pang Bo to uncork the red gourd he was holding, releasing the Six Ding Divine Fire. Then, Pang Bo fanned the Banana Leaf Fan nine times to refine the Undying Emperor. The Great Emperor Wushi watched from the side as the Undying Emperor, enveloped in the whirlwind and relentlessly burned by the raging flames, screamed in agony. He felt the rolling heat waves that rippled through the void, even from thousands of miles away, and was filled with awe for Lear.

…………

About half an hour later, the struggling Undying Emperor was refined by Lear into a crystal-clear celestial crystal.

Li Er turned to Emperor Wushi and said, "Fellow Daoist Wushi, let me give you this immortal crystal as a gift."

Upon hearing this, the Great Emperor Wushi repeatedly declined, saying, "Although I confronted this old thing for ten thousand years, it was you, Fellow Daoist, who ultimately refined it. This is naturally your spoils of war, how can I accept it? It would be better if you accepted it."

Seeing that the Great Emperor Wushi firmly refused to accept it, Li Er could only use his Vajra Bracelet to roll up the immortal crystal refined by the Undying Emperor and move it in front of him.

Li Er stared at the enormous immortal crystal for a moment, then suddenly remembered the "Supreme Creation of Heaven and Earth Talisman" he had obtained from his mind. He also thought that the Heavenly Dao of this world was incomplete, and there was no immortal realm for these great emperors to ascend to. He thought it would be better to use the immortal crystal transformed from the Undying Emperor and the crystals he had refined before, together with the Great Emperor Wushi, to refine an immortal realm to complete the Heavenly Dao.

Lear shared this idea with Emperor Wushi, who readily agreed.

The emperor and the immortal then unleashed immense magical power to begin refining it...

……

After nine days and nine nights, the new immortal realm was finally successfully refined. Emperor Wushi and Li Er sat facing each other in this newly refined immortal realm to discuss the Dao. Ye Fan and Pang Bo, who were serving them, also mustered up their courage to ask questions from time to time, and the two of them answered them one by one. In less than a day, the two brothers Ye and Pang had gone from being ordinary mortals to the Earth Immortal realm.

……

"Having concluded our discussion, this humble Daoist must now take his leave with his two attendants. This Immortal Realm is now entrusted to Fellow Daoist Wushi. I wonder if anyone would be willing to become the new Immortal Lord of this new Immortal Realm?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wushi's heart stirred. The discussions over the past day and the experience of jointly refining the Immortal Realm had made him greatly admire Lear. He had already seen that Lear's realm was far beyond his own. Now that Lear had asked him this question, it was likely that Lear could truly be made a god.

Emperor Wushi was naturally open-minded, so when Lear asked him this question, he answered as he pleased.

"Thank you for your kindness, fellow Daoist. I would be impolite to refuse. The new immortal realm that you and I have jointly refined has blocked the exit of the upper realm. I think our human race can now live without worry. Since you have asked this question, I am willing to protect the human race so that they can live in peace and prosperity."

Li Er nodded, "Excellent, excellent. Since you are willing to become the new master of the Immortal Realm, please accept the investiture."

Emperor Wushi walked down from the platform, straightened his clothes, and stood facing Lear.

Li Er held the supplementary list of the Investiture of the Gods, while Ye Fan and Pang Bo, the two attendants, stood solemnly to the side.

Li Erqing conferred the title of god: "Today, I, Li Er, on behalf of Heaven, proclaim the decree, and invite Fellow Daoist Wushi to receive the conferment."

Emperor Wushi bowed to Lear, saying, "Wushi is here to receive his title."

Lear, surrounded by purple aura, slowly spoke. "The Great Emperor of the Human Race, Wushi, has devoted himself tirelessly and selflessly, repelling a great enemy from beyond the heavens, vanquishing demons and monsters, and protecting humanity. His merits are immeasurable."

Heaven's way is impartial, its divine inspiration shines forth and rewards all; its mechanisms are indistinct, yet the universe nurtures all with benevolence. Now, this humble Daoist holds the proclamation of bestowing divine titles upon you, the primordial being of the human race, to become the Lord of this Immortal Realm. You are bestowed with a jade seal and the precious title of the Primordial Supreme Holy Emperor, the Supreme Virtuous and Profound Heavenly Venerable. May you lead the immortals to restore the righteous path, maintain order and stability, and bring peace to the world.

The proclamation has been delivered; you shall heed it!

"Your subject, Wushi, accepts this honor and will certainly not fail in fulfilling the imperial decree to lead the immortals and uphold the celestial order!"

Lear felt that the Heavenly Dao of this world was also rejoicing, so he raised his hand and grabbed at the sky, then presented it to the Great Emperor Wushi.

Before the Great Emperor Wushi below the stage, a large jade seal carved with nine intertwined dragons was spinning. It was the jade seal given to him by the Heavenly Dao as he ascended to the throne, to govern the Heavenly Realm.

The Great Emperor Wushi took the large seal in his hand, and soon his attire transformed into that of an emperor wearing a twelve-tassel crown, a black and yellow robe with twelve dragons in wide sleeves, and upturned shoes with pearls on the feet.

Lear was startled to realize that the purple aura surrounding him had spread from the platform to the Great Emperor Wushi below.

Emperor Wushi hurriedly looked up and saw that Li Er, who was riding an ox on the platform, and the two boys beside him holding staffs and gourds had disappeared without a trace.

The Great Emperor Wushi looked at the empty platform and couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Fellow Daoist, you are truly powerful. You've given me quite a task..."